


scars and hot springs

by byaku_KATSU



Category: Bleach
Genre: Cute Ending, F/F, Fluff, Hot Springs & Onsen, RukiHime, Scars, They Love Each Other OK
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:14:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28969656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byaku_KATSU/pseuds/byaku_KATSU
Summary: Rukia and Orihime go to the hot springs.  Rukihime one-shot
Relationships: Inoue Orihime/Kuchiki Rukia
Kudos: 6





	scars and hot springs

"They exist down here too?!"

Renji yelled excitably as he stood in front of an Onsen in the living world.

Ah yes. Hotsprings. Dipping into a warm body of water that cleansed both the body and soul was what anyone would've desired during trying times. Which was exactly why the four had decided to pay a visit.

"Of course they do, dumbass. Now shut the hell up and let's go inside," Ichigo grumbled, brisking past his friends.

Rukia shifted her gaze away from the now quarreling two and instead inspected Inoue's expression. A soft, almost permanent grin was plastered on her sweet face, along with a pinch more of sparkles in her eyes that was enough to suggest how delighted she was. Rukia smiled softly to herself and began walking after the two boys who were already paying at the counter, not needing to say anything before Inoue wandered after as well.

The girls joined the two who already had grey bracelet keys around their wrist, received their own, and parted ways. Inoue and Rukia padded towards the entryway with red curtains that had the kanji "女" embroidered into it. It was the women's hot springs.

"It's been a while since I've been in an Onsen! I'm so excited! How about you, Kuchiki-san?"

"Well," Rukia started sheepishly, "I do always bathe in my own, so I supposed so..."

"C'mon then! Let's go!"

Inoue squealed, pulling the raven-haired girl after her vigorously. Entering the changing room, the two looked for the numbers on the lockers that were the same as the ones permanently written on their keys. Thankfully, Ichigo was smart enough to get them lockers that were only a few feet away, so they would still be close but not close enough to be bumping elbows while undressing.

Stuffing their towels and change of clothes into their own cabinets, they quickly began disrobing. A bit embarrassed but eager to soak into the rotenburo (open-air bath), they ambered to the shower area, both washing before entering the tubs.

It was proper etiquette. One was to cleanse themself before entering the baths-- it was a public bath after all. They would then have to lightly rinse their lower body, before finally being able to enter.

"Kuchiki-san... Would you like me to wash your back for you?" Inoue asked tentatively before quickly adding, "I'd totally understand if you don't want me to!"

Rukia turned her shower off.

"Please do."

Standing up from her plastic seat and dragging it behind Rukia's, she sat back down, took a bucket, and grabbed an unused towel. After filling the container with water, Inoue began pouring the warm water onto Rukia's small back before freezing.

Scars.

"Where... How'd you get these?"

Rukia was quiet for a moment before straightening herself in recognition.

"These wounds?" she sighed, "I've been fighting Hollows for a bit over one hundred years. And before that, I lived in Rukongai, so I suppose I'm a bit scarred..."

Hesitantly, Inoue reached a slightly trembling finger to trace over the longest scar that went from her shoulder down to the middle of her back.

Rukia shivered.

Two shorter strokes were placed on the other sides of it, seemingly from the cruel slash of a Hollow's claws.

"I can heal them for you," Inoue suggested, fingers wandering around her back with silently granted permission, but Rukia shook her head and said nothing more. Inoue understood.

Taking the bucket up into her hands once more, she gently spilled the rest of the water onto Rukia's back, then took the towel and tenderly sponged her. Though she felt an urge to avoid the wounds, she carefully mopped them too, knowing they were old and wouldn't cause any pain to Rukia now. Reaching to grab more soap, Inoue glanced up, only to halt and stare.

Rukia had been gazing at her through the mirror. Inoue's eyes widened, accompanied by a flush in the face as Rukia smiled almost coyly at her reaction. Inoue hastily squirted soap into her hands, proceeding to scrub Rukia's back that was now shaking; laughing, probably.

"I used to wash my brothers back too, so I'm pretty confident in my skills," Inoue said, in an attempt to ease her blushing. Rukia hummed in reply, "...And done!"

She chirped after rising the soap off.

"Thank you," Rukia said, standing up from her seat. She then stood and gazed at Inoue for a moment. Their gazes lingered on each other before Rukia titled her head to the side at Inoue's once again reddened face.

"Sit," Rukia beckoned.

"Oh! Okay."

Inoue took a seat with Rukia behind her this time, not noticing the tingling feeling of joy in Rukia washing her back.

"I'm moving your hair," she murmured quietly before taking Inoue's Chesnut colored locks and sweeping it over her shoulder, exposing her whole back. Her back was less... bony than Rukia's. Inoue's skin was untouched as well.

 _An admirable body,_ Rukia noted.

Inoue was almost shocked at how warm Rukia's fingertips were. She may have been unconsciously expecting them to be cold, being that Rukia's sword was ice-based and, she wasn't quite _alive._

The tingling became more distinct.

"You can stand now," Inoue was snapped from the sudden chill in her back and the scraping of a plastic seat against the stone floor. She got to her feet, turned on the shower, and rinsed off the seat and mirror before standing to follow Rukia, who was already eyeing the Rotenburo a few baths away.

Inoue's eyes were instead fixed on Rukia's body. Not in an erotic or lewd way, of course not!

At least, that's what she hoped.

Other than on her back, there were a few small scars that could only be seen from close. She was toned perfectly, from many years of training, struggling, and fighting. Her skin was as pale as a snowflake catching the rays of early sun, slightly pinked due to the tepid steam and thermal waters. Strings of her ink-black hair dripped water, most of it swept out of her face, almost as if it was slicked back with gel.

_She's gorgeous._

Night sky violet met sweet caramel.

"Let's go," Rukia voiced, a hint of amusement hidden into her smooth voice. They strode past the many baths that were unoccupied, sliding open the glass screen door that led to the hot spring outside. Heat rose from the still water, surrounded by round boulders with one opening that handrails sprouted out of. Out a bamboo tube flowed water, and around the Onsen was a wooden fence to block out the view of bypassers. One side of the fence was stone, however, and taller than the others.

"The men's Rotenburo is most likely one the other side," said Rukia, who was already going down the stairs and into the water. Inoue nodded in agreement and rinsed herself with a bucket nearby before entering as well.

The waters in hot springs were different from tap water. The spring they were currently bathing in was "Bijin-no-yu," meaning "Onsen of beautiful ladies," which made Rukia snort. The water was thick like they weren't in the water but instead wrapped in expensive silk... It was purifying, invigorating, and yet, calming.

But it was a bit _too_ warm for Inoue's liking.

_Do I have a fever?_

"Yo, Ichigo, we can swim in this thing!"

Renji's voice came from the other side of the stone wall.

"Bruh, it says not to swim right here on this piece of paper-- Didn't I tell you to read the rules?"

Ichigo's annoyed voice and the sound of a screendoor closing followed, and Inoue visibly flushed at the idea of the two with no--

Well...

"Shut it, there's no one here! They won't see us..."

 _SPLASH_.

Rukia sighed in disappointment beside her, Ichigo yelped, and afterward came almost giggling noises that seemed to be emitting from Renji.

"It says 'Onsen of Beautiful Ladies,' Ichigo!" a groan came from said boy, "What? Don't you want to become a beautiful woman?"

"Hell, no! And if you're going to swim, swim properly," a grunt and splash of protest, "you look like a wet rat."

Suddenly, Rukia's eyes lifted to hers, and Inoue cringed.

It seemed that Inoue had been staring all the while listening to the two boys' bickering.

"Are you okay?" Rukia asked with slightly raised eyebrows.

_Well, I do feel very hot..._

Pushing her thought away, Inoue smiled awkwardly and nodded in a failing attempt to conceal her distress, but Rukia wasn't fooled.

"No, you're not...," she murmured, and before Inoue knew it, Rukia's small hands were touching her forehead, checking for any sign of a fever, moving to her cheeks, then to her neck...

Inoue's hands snapped to Rukia's, yanking them away from her. Rukia's brows were fully raised this time, accompanied by a surprised gaze.

Inoue stared right back into her cosmo eyes, awed by the stars that floated in them. She gazed at her small, somewhat innocent face, noticing how mature she seemed even while appearing so young. She couldn't stop-- her long eyelashes, her small ears, her pink lips, _everything, everything was just so--_

"Beautiful," Inoue managed to breathe, "You're beautiful, Kuchiki-san."

Rukia's hands slipped away from hers.

Inoue finally gasped. Her eyes widened, her breath hitched, and her shoulders trembled.

_What have I done?_

"I- I didn't... I'm sorry, Kuchiki-san! Ha, t-the hot water must've gotten to me!"

After apologizing, she abruptly began to climb out of the Onsen before a small hand clasped onto her wrist. She turned her head mechanically, in nervous, stuttering movements to see the petite girl looking down, her expression unreadable because of the hair in her face.

They both froze like that for a while, Inoue gazing at the suddenly very interesting rocks, drowning out the sound of the continuous arguing of the two on the other side.

"Inoue...," she didn't dare look into those eyes again, "...Inoue, look at me."

_No._

She felt the hand leave her wrist and inch towards her face.

_I don't wanna..._

The hand met her chin, and she was gently forced to look up.

It was that face again. That beautiful, _beautiful_ face...

"You're very pretty too, Inoue."

_...What?_

Rukia chuckled a bit, dropping her hand down and looking away.

"I've been having a hard time keeping my eyes away from you tonight."

_Huh?_

_Wait..._

_No way._

Still dumbfounded, and possibly drunk off of Rukia's rare, flustered behavior, Inoue began to mumble, "Do you...? Do you really mean th--?"

"I'LL GIVE YOU ONE MORE CHANCE TO ANSWER ME PROPERLY. DO YOU THINK THAT I AM BEAUTIFUL ICHIGO?!"

Renji's only slightly loud voice (that the two girls were able to ignore until now) suddenly switched to a bellow, making Rukia and Inoue flinch.

"YOU'LL ALWAYS LOOK STUPID THIS BATH CAN'T FIX THAT, PRICK!!!!" Ichigo's voice screamed back, and there were loud splashes of water, suggesting that they were now wrestling. In the water.

Inoue sent a panicked gaze towards Rukia.

_Did they hear us?_

Rukia shook her head.

"I think those imbeciles are still continuing that dumb conversation from earlier... About 'wanting to become a beautiful woman' and such. And...," Rukia covered half of her face with one hand as she said this, "I did mean what I said."

Reddening and slightly feverish, the two fidgeted awkwardly for a while, frantically thinking of a way to break the tense atmosphere.

"Let's go to the Sansei-en, Kuchiki-san!" Inoue smiled as Rukia nodded eagerly, probably thankful, for Inoue had somewhat brought back the relaxed mood, "But why that one?"

She questioned innocently as she followed after Inoue, who was nearing the door back inside.

"'Cause," she chirped with a bright smile, "That Onsen heals scars, doesn't it?"

Rukia's hand was very, _very_ warm.


End file.
